In continuing the series on Race & Space in Los Angeles, this new installment turns its focus towards LA's Asian American community. Beginning with a USC student made production, The Challenge (1957, Claude Bache) exposes the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII but does so from assimilationist perspective put forth by the Japanese American’s Citizens League, which at the time was promoting a platform leaning towards adopting American ideologies rather than retaining Japanese. As counterpoint, the program features some films from the 1970’s collective of Asian American filmmaker’s known as Visual Communications, who made films from viewpoint of the Asian artist, rather than the Asian as subject. One such film, Manzanar (1971, Robert Nakamura), addresses the issue of Japanese interment during WWII from a much different perspective. The program will also include additional films from Visual Communications that explore the topic of identity and collective memory as they resonate within the Asian American community. 

Doors 7:30 PM. FREE EVENT!

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visitwww.calhum.org.